Fading Fast
by EpicBuffalo
Summary: Pokémon Special- When Gold, Silver and Crystal are plagued by a mysterious illness, they, along with Red, Blue, Green and Yellow must find a cure. But it won't be easy. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

What's up? Welcome to my first multi-chaptered story! This idea has been floating around for a while, and I'm actually pretty excited about it. The entire plot is based on what happened to the GSC games, but it won't become obvious until near the end.

Gold, Silver, Crystal, Red, Blue, Green and Yellow will all appear. Sorry, no Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, Pearl or Platinum, because I haven't read that far yet. :)

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Pokémon Special. Which is probably a good thing, because it would probably suck if I did.

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* * *

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**Chapter One**

Gold screamed.

His head pounded, and his body ached all over, and he swore he could taste blood. Explotaro's flame roared as the creature edged carefully toward its master. On his hands and knees, Gold held up a shaky arm.

"N-no, Explo-t-taro. Don't come any… c-close…er…" He collapsed. His breathing was ragged, and he was covered in a cold sweat. His eyes were clamped shut from the pain. He subconsciously curled himself into a tight ball on the floor.

The fire bursting from Explotaro died down. Warily, the Pokémon looked around at each other, then at their shaking master on the ground. Explotaro inched forward and sniffed at Gold, then turned and barked an order at Ataro. The small purple monkey's ears perked, and then he nodded. Determined, he ran from the house into the night. Satisfied, Explotaro curled itself around Gold, with the other Pokémon joining soon after.

Ataro bolted as fast as he could through the forest. His sharpened senses guided him past trees, rocks and sometimes, other Pokémon. He felt exhausted, but he wouldn't stop, _couldn't_ stop. He ran.

Ataro didn't stop until he reached New Bark Town, several towns away from where he'd left Gold. Running on adrenaline, Ataro made it to Professor Elm's lab. Hopping up onto a tree branch, he knocked loudly on a window with its tail.

He continued banging on the glass until Elm himself appeared. He looked pretty awake; must've been up late researching. His eyes widened in recognition. "Ataro?"

Ataro jumped to the windowsill and began gesturing emphatically, speaking a language few humans could understand. Seeing the look of confusion on the professor's face, Ataro tried pointing into the forest, but Elm shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Ataro," he said. "but I don't understand. Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait until morning. Come on, Ataro, you can stay here tonight."

As Ataro gazed into the darkness sadly, Professor Elm closed and locked the window.

Silver pressed his palms to his temples. Teeth gritted, he stumbled slightly, managing to catch himself before he toppled to the ground. Behind him, his Pokémon watched, confused, as their master staggered around the forest where they were training. Feraligatr inched forward, but Silver held up his hand.

"N-no, Feraligatr. Keep training. I'm fine." The Pokémon didn't look convinced, its normal toothy grin twisted into a disconcerting frown. "Really. All of you, keep training!"

Silver steadied himself against a nearby tree, leaning against it for support. He watched as his Pokémon practiced their attacks, trying to ignore his fading vision. He rubbed his eyes and tried to concentrate. His head hurt like he couldn't believe, and he could feel cold sweat dripping down his neck- and he knew it wasn't just from the warm evening.

His palms felt clammy against his forehead. His chest ached when he tried to take more than a shallow breath. Suddenly overcome with a wave of nausea, he emptied his stomach behind the sturdy tree. Backing away, his vision swayed. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, trying to make it stop. Suddenly his foot backed against a rock, and Silver fell. Everything went dark.

"I don't understand you, Ataro. I'm sorry." Ataro hopped on Professor Elm's desk, chattering loudly, trying to pass on a message the man couldn't understand. In the distance, a phone rang.

Professor Elm sighed. "I'll be right back, Ataro." He shuffled to the back, and Ataro slumped, defeated.

Walking to the phone, Elm sighed again and shook his head. "I wish I knew what Ataro was trying to tell me. It seems important." Shrugging it off, he picked up the phone. Professor Oak's face appeared on the screen.

"Good afternoon!" Oak greeted. He smiled widely.

Elm returned the gesture. "Hello, Professor Oak! How are you?"

"Fine, thank you! I just wanted to let you know that Crystal and I will be coming to New Bark Town tomorrow! We thought we'd stop by for a visit!"

"I'll be looking forward to it!" Suddenly Elm remembered Ataro, and, having an idea, ventured a question. "Hey, Oak? You know that girl… um, Yellow? She can talk to Pokémon, right?"

"Well, she can read their thoughts… Why do you ask?"

"Something seems to be bothering Ataro- that's Gold's Aipom- and I have no idea what he wants. Maybe she can help."

"Well, I'll ask her, then. Anyway, I have to go. See you later!" Elm put the phone down.

"Well, Ataro, _I _can't help you, but Yellow should be here tomorrow. She'll figure out what's bothering you." Elm walked past the desk, Ataro's sad gaze following him the whole way.

"Okay, Professor, I'm ready!"

Crystal bounded into the room, Mega at her feet, and dropped her bag on the floor.

Professor Oak walked into the room, a grin on his wrinkled face. "We aren't leaving until tomorrow morning, Crystal," he laughed.

"I know, but I'm so excited! I haven't been home in ages!"

The professor laughed. "By the way, before I forget, would you mind if Yellow came with us?"

"Of course not, Professor, but why?"

Oak shrugged. "Elm needs her for something. Something about Ataro."

Crystal's eyes widened. "Ataro? What's wrong with him?"

"Elm didn't say. He just said that something's bothering him."

"I hope he's okay," Crystal said. _And Gold, too._ Mega nudged her arm comfortingly. She placed her hand on Mega's head and wrapped her arm around his neck. "You too, huh, Mega? I'm sure they're fine." _Then again, knowing Gold…_

Crystal knocked on the door to the little house by the woods. She stepped back and waited, until she heard footsteps inside. The door swung open to reveal a girl with a straw hat and blonde hair. The girl smiled.

"Hi, Crystal!"

"Hi Yellow! How are you?"

"Great!" From behind the girl a small yellow mouse with a flower near its pointy ear walked forward. Yellow picked her up.

Crystal petted Chuchu short, soft fur. "Hi, Chuchu!" The mouse responded by nuzzling its head into Crystal's hand. Grinning, Crys turned back to Yellow. "Listen, Yellow. Professor Elm said Ataro- you remember Ataro?" At Yellow's nod she continued. "Anyway, he said Ataro has been trying to tell him something pretty important, but he can't figure out what. We were wondering if you'd mind coming with us to see if you can help."

"I'd be happy to!" Yellow's smile grew bigger, if that was possible.

"I figured you would. Be at the lab tomorrow morning around 7, okay? See ya later, Yellow!" Waving as she turned, Crys headed back to the lab.


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome to chapter two! This one's pretty slow and boring, but I think it's important. Next one should be better. BUT, I HAD to post this today, 'cause... Has everybody heard!? Probably...**

**GOLD AND SILVER REMAKES!**

**I'm so happy I may or may not have scared my cats jumping around the house. **

**On with chapter two. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Chapter Two

Bright and early the next morning, Yellow and Chuchu set off for Pallet Town. Yellow's bag was slung over her shoulder. Chuchu darted all over, smelling everything she found interesting. Yellow smiled as she watched her.

Soon they came to the entrance to the little town. Excited, Chuchu took off, perhaps expecting to find Pika. Yellow laughed and ran after her.

Yellow and Chuchu raced over the rough, hill-covered ground. In the distance Yellow could see Professor Oak's lab.

"Come on, Chuchu!" she called, running faster. "We're almost there!" Laughing, she continued after the tiny yellow mouse.

* * *

Gold pushed himself off the floor. His aching muscles could barely support his weight.

_Wait a second, _he thought. _I don't remember weighing that much…_

Craning his neck to look over his shoulder, he saw a large blue-and-tan shape asleep on his back.

"Explotaro," he croaked, throat dry and painful. "Get up!"

Explotaro's ears twitched and his neck moved, and soon Gold could see his bright eyes. Explotaro heaved himself off his trainer and nuzzled his face.

Gold laughed. "I'm okay, Explotaro. I just wish I knew what happened." He petted Explotaro's head. "Thanks for worrying." Gold scanned the room with his eyes. "Speaking of worrying, where's Ataro?"

Explotaro lifted a paw and pointed into the forest.

"Somewhere in the woods?" The Pokémon nodded. "Okay. He should be fine." Gold stood and stretched. "Wonder if there's anything to eat."

* * *

Silver opened his eyes and immediately winced. His head felt like it had been stomped on by a Rhydon. Gritting his teeth, he attempted to push himself up. He arms wavered under the weight. _What happened to me?_

Suddenly he felt two strong arms lifting him to his feet. He stumbled, feeling weak, but the arms steadied him.

"Thank you, Feraligatr." Silver looked around the clearing. His Pokémon were all asleep, save for Feraligatr, who was still watching him warily.

He sighed. This was the third time this had happened- he'd be doing something, completely unaware, and out of the blue excruciating pain would make him unable to do anything, and eventually, he'd pass out. It was becoming irritating.

Deciding not to worry about it for the moment, he lay down on his makeshift bed and went to sleep, Feraligatr watching vigilantly over him.

* * *

Crystal checked her PokéGear's clock for the third time. "Where _is _she?" she asked again. She began to pace, Mega's worried eyes watching her go back and forth.

From over a small hill, Crystal could see a tiny yellow mouse with a flower by its ear. She smiled as she saw Yellow running behind Chuchu.

"Finally!" Crystal exclaimed. "What took you so long?"

Skidding to a stop in front of Crys, Yellow smiled. "Chuchu went the wrong way." She bent down and picked her up. "She wanted to see Pika, but they weren't there."

Crys laughed. "Red and Green are away training for a while." Chuchu's ears drooped. "Aw, don't worry, Chuchu. They'll be back soon!" Crys picked up her bag. "Well, Yellow, ready to go?"

Yellow smiled. "Yeah!"

* * *

Crystal and Yellow arrived in Vermilion City an hour later with Professor Oak. Together they walked to the docks, Mega and Chuchu trailing behind.

The air was salty from the ocean, and in the distance, they could see ships, stark white against the deep blue of the water. Professor Oak clutched their tickets firmly in his hand. As he walked along the row of ships, he'd glance quickly at the tickets, then just as quickly back at the ships, as if he'd forget the boat number in two seconds.

Finally they came to a decent-sized boat near the middle of the row. It looked freshly painted, and several people were already boarded. They got on.

Yellow and Chuchu went to stand near the front of the boat, while Professor Oak headed below, claiming the sun was too bright.

_Funny, _Crystal thought. _I didn't realize the sun made you green._

Suddenly, the boat jerked, and they were sailing. Chuckling at Oak's seasickness, Crys and Mega joined Yellow and Chuchu, taking deep breaths of salty air. They passed people swimming and battling with various water Pokémon, and some Wingull and Pelipper flew overhead.

Before they knew it the boat docked in Olivine City. Professor Oak, Crys and Yellow walked carefully down the wooden ramp to the ground below, followed closely by Mega and Chuchu. From there, it was a fairly short trip to New Bark Town.

* * *

Finally arriving in the small town, the group headed immediately for Professor Elm's lab. Pushing through the door, they could see Professor Elm sitting at a messy desk talking to a small purple creature with a hand-like tail. Both of them turned their attention to the five figures standing at the door.

As Elm got up to greet his friend, Crys and Yellow walked over to the desk, their Pokémon following.

"Hi, Ataro," Crys said. "You remember Yellow, right? She's going to try to figure out what's been bothering you."

Face brightening, Ataro hopped over to Yellow, who had taken a seat in the professor's chair. She took Ataro's tiny paws in her hands and closed her eyes.

Ataro's thoughts washed through her mind, along with several emotions, fear being the most prominent. She saw a boy with a cap- _Gold?_ – entering a cabin, having just finished training with his Pokémon. As he walked toward the kitchen, he suddenly put a hand to the side of his head. His Pokémon looked at him warily, seemingly knowing what was coming.

She saw the boy fall to his hands and knees, telling his Typhlosion to stay away. Then he fell unconscious. The last thing she saw was the Typhlosion barking, and various scenes of the forest.

Yellow moved her hands away and opened her eyes. Both professors and Crystal looked at her expectantly, and Ataro looked relieved to have gotten it off his chest.

"It's Gold," Yellow said, and Crys lifted a hand to her mouth in worry. "We have to find him."


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome to Chapter 3! This took a lot longer than I expected, but I think it turned out pretty well. It's also the longest chapter yet! **

**Thanks so much to the people who reviewed. They make my day :)**

**Hope this is okay grammar-wise. I edited it kinda late last night, but I didn't want to wait any more to post it. Hopefully the next one won't take so long. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 3

Crystal was out the door as soon as Yellow's words had registered, Mega bounding behind. She could hear footsteps behind her, but she didn't slow down. Her adrenaline carried her all the way to Gold's house on the other side of the small town.

She knocked loudly on the door, bouncing from foot to foot anxiously as she waited. Finally a woman- Gold's mother- opened the door.

"Is Gold here?" Crys demanded, skipping introductions and greetings.

"No, he's not," the woman answered. "Who are you?"

"I'm his, uh, friend," Crys said. "Do you know where I can find him?"

The woman thought for a moment. "I think he went training near Blackthorn City."

Crys was already running to find him. "Thank you!" she called back.

"Strange girl," Gold's mother muttered to herself. She closed the door.

Crys raced past Yellow and Oak, who stared at her in shock. Mega pushed himself as hard as he could to keep up.

"Crys?" Yellow called after her. "Where are you going?"

"Blackthorn," she responded briefly. "Gotta find Gold."

Deciding he couldn't keep up anymore, Mega stopped, and Crys followed soon after when she saw the route leading to Blackthorn. It was rocky and mountain-covered, with huge tree roots twisting out of the ground. Crys heard Yellow come up behind her. "How do we get there?" Crys asked. "We can't go around, it'll take too long."

"We fly," Yellow answered, and pulled out a Poké Ball. Her Butterfree appeared in front of her. "Come on!"

Crys nodded and called out her Natu. Despite being small, the bird was strong, and they lifted into the air. Remembering Oak, Crys turned. "We'll be back as soon as we can!" And they were off.

Sighing and muttering about 'kids these days,' Oak walked back to the lab.

* * *

"Feraligatr! Hydro Pump!" Feraligatr opened his gaping jaws, shooting a powerful blast of water at the Tauros. It wobbled, its knees buckled, and it fainted.

"Ah, man…" the kid muttered, recalling his Pokémon. He glanced up. "Hey, man, are you okay?"

"F-fine…" Silver answered, though not convincingly. He pressed his hands to his head. Feraligatr stepped toward him, trying to judge which way the boy would fall. Silver pitched forward, right into Feraligatr's arms.

"Hey, is he okay?" the other trainer asked. "He looks like he needs to see a doctor." The Pokémon grunted. "Come on, we can at least take him to the Pokémon Centre. I need to take my Tauros there anyway."

* * *

Not long later, Yellow and Crys landed in Blackthorn City. They glanced around.

"Great," Crys muttered. "I forgot to ask _where_ in Blackthorn. This'll take forever!"

"Kitty, fly up!" Yellow said to her Butterfree. "See if you can see Gold."

Kitty nodded and flew up high. Yellow and Crys watched as he spun in a circle, looking in all directions. Slowly he fluttered back down, a sad look in his big red eyes.

"Nothing?" Yellow asked, and Kitty shook his head. "That's okay. Thanks, Kitty." She recalled her Pokémon, and Crys did the same with Natee after she petted her for the trip up.

"So now what?" Crys asked.

"Hmm…" Yellow thought for a moment. "Well, where could someone go to train in Blackthorn City?"

"Um… Oh! Dragon's Den!"

Yellow looked sceptical. "Are you sure?"

Crys was already running in the direction of the cave. "Of course! Come on, Yellow!"

* * *

Oak and Elm sat in Elm's lab quietly, waiting for word from any of the trainers now out in the field. Mega and Chuchu, forgotten by their trainers in the rush, sat with Ataro at another, smaller table.

"They should've been back by now," Elm said abruptly, and then fell back into silence.

After a pause, Oak responded. "They're just looking for him. Blackthorn's a big place. They'll be back soon."

Faintly, they could hear the phone ring. Elm sighed. "Not again. Every time I get a phone call something bad seems to happen." He got up to answer it, leaving Oak with the Pokémon.

Elm made his way to the back and answered the phone. The screen flickered on, and an unfamiliar face greeted him.

"Hello?"

"Hi, um, Professor Elm?" the woman asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"This might sound a little odd, but do you know a boy named Silver?"

Elm looked confused. "Yes, why? What about him?"

"Um… He's here, and he's… unconscious."

"Where are you?"

"The Pokémon Centre in Viridian City."

Without another word o the woman, Elm was gone. Barely saying anything to Oak- other than "I'm going to Viridian, back soon, wait for Crys and Yellow"- Elm was on his way to Viridian City.

* * *

Crys and Yellow had run halfway across Blackthorn City before they realized they had no idea where Dragon's Den actually was. Yellow waited patiently while Crys asked for directions, but knew the news couldn't be good when she saw the sheepish smile on the other girl's face.

"We went completely the wrong way," Crys told her. "It's the other way and across a lake."

Yellow sighed. "Come on, then." She started walking in the other direction. Crys pulled out a Poké Ball. "We can get there a lot faster this way." She tossed the ball, and an Arcanine appeared in front of her. She hopped on. "Come on, Yellow!" Hesitantly, Yellow got on the creature's back. Raising an arm to point in the direction they had to go, Crys called, "Let's go, Arckee!"

Yellow held onto Crys for dear life to stay on.

* * *

It took barely half an hour for Elm to arrive in Viridian City. Being a world- renowned Pokémon professor certainly helped you get places faster.

He ran as fast as he could to the Pokémon Centre. He nearly knocked over a kid with a Charmander- probably a new trainer, Elm guessed- before he arrived at the front desk.

"I'm Professor Elm," he said to the nurse. "I'm here for-"

"This way," she said. "He hasn't woken up yet."

Elm followed her to a back room, where Silver lay in a bed. His Feraligatr stood by him vigilantly.

"What happened to him?"

The nurse shook her head. "I don't know. He was battling another trainer and collapsed."

"Is the other trainer here?" Elm asked.

The nurse nodded and leaned into the hallway. She motioned to someone and a second later a young boy appeared.

"What happened?" The professor asked again.

The boy shrugged. "We were battling, and all of a sudden he started wobbling and he fell."

The professor nodded. "Okay. Thank you for looking after him."

As fast as he could, Elm arranged for them both to go back to New Bark Town.

* * *

When Yellow and Crys arrived at the lake, they saw a small island with a cave. On the shore was a small cabin with a sign reading _Trainer's Rest Stop. _

"That's it! Yellow exclaimed, pointing. "The cabin where Gold was staying! The one from Ataro's memories!"

Crys bolted inside, leaving Arckee and Yellow staring after her. Glancing at each other, they followed her in.

They found Gold soon after they entered. Crys kneeled next to him on the floor, placing one hand on his arm and one on his back. Gold sat against the wall, covered in sweat. He placed a hand to his head, smiling faintly at Crys through his pain before he passed out.

Barely missing a beat, Crys started to lift him. "Come on, Yellow, we have to get him back to the lab. Arckee!" The dog-like Pokémon walked over. "I need you to help me take Gold home, okay?" Arckee kneeled down. Crys sat on his back and pulled Gold on in front of her, with some help from Yellow. "Can you fly back, Yellow?" Yellow nodded. "Okay. Meet you back there." In a cloud of dust, they ran for home.

* * *

Yellow arrived back earlier simply because she hadn't had to run over the rough terrain. She walked into the lab after recalling Kitty to see both professors, Ataro, Mega and Chuchu.

"Did you find Gold?" Elm asked anxiously.

Yellow nodded. "Crys is bringing him back. They should be here soon."

Elm nodded. "Silver's in the back. He passed out."

Yellow's eyes widened. "So did Gold!" She walked to the desk and put a bag with all of Gold's Pokémon- in their Poké Balls, of course- inside.

Elm nodded grimly. "I hope Crys gets here soon. We have a lot to talk about."


	4. Chapter 4

Welcome to Chapter 4! I'm really sorry it took me this long to get it up! Updates should hopefully come a lot faster this summer, but no promises :)

I'm really sorry if I screwed up Red, Blue and Green. Oh, and I'm sorry Professor Elm sighs so much :) Anyway, on with Chapter 4!

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4

Minutes later, Crys burst through the lab doors. She leaned against one to hold it open and Arkee bounded in, an unconscious Gold on his back. Elm and Oak, briefly startled, ran forward to check him. Sighing, Elm led Arkee to the back where he placed him in a bed beside the one Silver was in.

Returning, Elm sat at the table where everyone else was seated. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and finger. They sat in silence for a while. Yellow shifted in her chair awkwardly and cleared her throat.

"What now?" Crys asked suddenly, tired of the quiet.

Elm shook his head. "I don't know."

Oak stood from his chair. "Let's call Red, Blue and Green. I bet they can help."

Elm nodded. "And Blue will want to see Silver. I'll go call them."

As Elm left, Crys turned to Oak. "What do we do until they get here, Professor?"

Oak shrugged. "What else? We wait."

* * *

"Saur! Razor Leaf!" Sharp leaves flew from the spotted pink plant on the creature's back.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" A blast of fire erupted from the winged beast's mouth, disintegrating the projectiles.

"Saur, use…" Red was interrupted by a ringing in his coat pocket. "Uh, just a sec, Green."

Green raised an eyebrow as Red pulled out a PokéGear and flipped to the phone.

"Hi, Professor Elm," Red greeted, surprised to see the older man.

"Hi, Red," Elm replied. "Busy, were you?"

Red shrugged. "I was just having a battle with Green. What's up?"

"How soon can you get to New Bark Town?"

Red raised an eyebrow. "Why would I want to?"

Elm looked slightly angry. "Because we need you here! Both of you!"

Red sighed. "Fine. It shouldn't take too long. We're only at Mt. Silver."

Elm nodded. "Fine. Get here soon." The professor hung up.

Green stepped toward Red, their battle forgotten. "What was that about?"

Red shrugged. "Professor Elm says we have to get to New Bark Town."

"Okay. Come on, we can ride Charizard."

"Okay! Saur, come here!" Red petted Saur's head, the recalled him. "Let's go!"

They'd been in the air less than a minute when Red's PokéGear rang again. "Just a sec, Green." Red turned on the phone. "Hey, Blue!" Green raised an eyebrow.

"Where are you guys off to?" the girl asked.

"We're going to New Bark Town for Professor Elm."

"Great! So am I!" Blue grinned. "We can meet up and go together!"

"Where are you?" Green asked. "Aren't you on the Sevii Islands?"

"Yeah," Blue said. "But Blasty can get me over there in no time."

"But we're at Mt. Silver," Red whined. "It'll take forever to go meet you and then go all the way back to New Bark Town."

"Aw, please Red?" You're not going to make me go all the way out there by myself, are you?"

Red sighed. "Where do you want to meet?"

* * *

Charizard flew quickly through the air. From his pocket Red heard the annoyingly familiar ring of his PokéGear. He sighed. _Not again!_

Carefully, so he didn't fall off Charizard (because he couldn't say with 100% certainty Green would save him) he pulled the little device out of his pocket. Switching to the phone icon, he greeted with the annoyed face of Professor Elm. Red smiled sheepishly.

"Uh, hey Professor," Red greeted nervously. "What's up?"

"Oh, not much, Red," Elm said sarcastically. "Just waiting for you to grace us with your presence."

"Yeah, um… Blue called a little after you did, and asked us to meet her in Vermilion. We're going to take the boat over, I guess."

Elm sighed and smacked a hand to his face. "Fine. Just get here as soon as you can, okay? We have a lot to talk about."

"Sure thing, Professor. Bye!"

* * *

Not long after, Charizard landed in Vermilion City. After Green recalled him they started walked in the direction of the port.

"Hey, Green?" Red began hesitantly. Receiving a grunt in response, he continued. "Don't you need to buy tickets to go on the boat?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Um… Who's buying ours?"

"You are, of course!" Red and Green turned to see a girl their age. She threw her arms around them. "You don't expect _me _to pay, do you?"

"Of course not, Blue," Red muttered. You never pay for anything."

Blue winked and grinned mischievously. "Come on, boys! We've got a boat to catch!"

Following behind with Green, Red sighed. "My wallet never feels lighter than when I'm with Blue."

* * *

Red took the three tickets from the lady at the booth. Green had paid for his own ticket, but his wallet still felt uncomfortably light after having bought two.

"Tell me again why we couldn't just fly over?" Red said as he met back up with his friends.

Blue took a ticket out of his hand. "Where's the fun in that? We fly everywhere!"

"There's a reason for that," Red muttered. "Aero doesn't charge."

* * *

Red, Green and Blue walked toward the docks. The boats all floated in a neat row as people climbed on and off of them. Blue led the way down the row, glancing at each boat as they passed. Finally she stopped. "Here it is!"

Red and Green looked at the vessel that would take them across the water. The paint was peeling and it creaked as people walked on board. A little kid cried as his mother made him go on.

"Blue, this doesn't look very safe. Maybe we should wait for the next one." Red backed away from the boat.

"Don't be silly, Red. It's fine. Besides, if we wait for the next one, you'll have to buy more tickets. You don't want that, do you?"

Red sighed. "No."

"Then come on! We don't want to be late meeting Professor Elm!"

"We wouldn't have been late anyway if we hadn't come to meet you," Red muttered. From his spot beside Red, Green smirked.

The three walked up the platform leading to the deck of the boat. On her way up, Blue accidentally bumped into a man beside her.

"I'm so sorry!" Blue said to him. The man just nodded, giving Blue an odd look.

"What a weird man," Red whispered. Green and Blue nodded, and they went to stand near the front of the boat. They watched at the man got on board and went to stand with two others. "We'll have to keep our eye on him."


	5. Chapter 5

Welcome to chapter 5! I really need to stop taking so long getting stuff written. Anyway, I'm not really sure about this one. The first part's pretty important, but I'm not sure how well I write battles. Oh well :)

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and stuff. It may not seem like it, but they really do make me want to write. And even if you didn't review, thanks for reading :) I'll try not to disappoint!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

The machine clicked and whirred to life. A large screen flickered on, bathing the room in a greenish glow. It showed an image of a man's face, and he stared expectantly into the space.

"Sir?" the man asked hesitantly. "We found those kids. They got on a boat in Vermilion. What do you want us to do?"

"It doesn't matter," a man said. His figure was hidden by the darkness of the room, with only part of his face illuminated. "They are of no concern to me. Do with them what you will."

The man on the screen nodded. "Yes, sir."

"The only person you need to find is Silver. Without him, everything we're doing is pointless."

The man nodded again. "We'll keep searching. Over and out." The screen flicked off, leaving the room in total darkness.

* * *

Red, Green and Blue watched as one of the three men they'd been watching clicked something on a device on his wrist and lowered his arm. The men glanced in their direction, and for a heartbeat, nobody moved. Then one of the men gestured in their direction with a tilt of his head, and they were on their way over.

"Boss says we can do whatever we want with you kids," one of them said. "I say we knock you off this boat."

Red laughed. "Yeah, right." He pulled out a Poké Ball. "I'll give you one chance to change your minds."

The man's eyes narrowed. "Not likely." He grabbed a Poké Ball of his own and tossed it. A Vaporeon appeared on the deck, and passengers moved away.

Red tossed his Poké Ball and a small yellow mouse stood in front of him, cheeks sparking. "Pika, Thunderbolt!" The sparks grew larger until they burst from Pika's cheeks and flew toward Vaporeon.

"Vaporeon, Agility!" Just as the electricity was about to hit, Vaporeon disappeared. "Aurora Beam!" Before Pika could register what happened, a multi-coloured beam slammed into his back. Pika was back on his paws an instant later, sending another electric blast at Vaporeon.

This time Vaporeon was unable to avoid the attack, and it collapsed in a blue heap on the ground. Pika ran back to Red and jumped into his arms. His long ears twitched at a sound only he seemed to hear. Suddenly a large creak came from the boat, and a split second later it began to fall apart.

Red, Green and Blue each pulled out a Poké Ball. In front of them appeared an Aerodactyl, a Charizard and a Wigglytuff. Blue's Wigglytuff inflated, and she gripped the Pokémon's foot as she began to float. Charizard allowed Green to get on his back, and Aero picked up Red, letting Pika ride on his back.

The boat split and all the people on board spilled into the water. A few of them called put Pokémon and started back to land. The three men who had challenged them each rode a Flying-type Pokémon- one had a Pidgeot, one a Fearow, and the last a Skarmory.

"Those people are going to drown!" Blue exclaimed. She pulled out another Poké Ball. "Blasty, help those people!"

Red grabbed two Poké Balls of his own and threw them. Poli and Gyara appeared in the water below them and began to help. Green sent out his Golduck and, despite some initial fear of Gyara, the people were glad for the help.

Meanwhile, up in the air, the battle continued. "Aero, Hyper Beam!" Aero shot a powerful blast from his gaping jaws.

"Skarmory, Steel Wing!" one of the men called, and the silver bird sliced through the attack with glowing steel feathers.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Hot flames erupted from the orange lizard's mouth, scorching the Steel-type. The metallic bird faltered and began to fall.

"Skarmory, Swift!" Steadying itself, Skarmory flapped its gleaming wings and golden stars flew through the air.

"Pika, Thunderbolt!" Pika's cheeks sparked with energy, then exploded in a burst of electricity. The stars were shocked harmlessly out of the air. Suddenly a noise Red heard far too often over the last few hours filled the air. He reached awkwardly into his pocket, trying to shift around Aero's grip on his arms, and pulled out his PokéGear.

"Red, where _are_ you?" Elm demanded, annoyance thick in his voice. "We've been waiting for ages. Should the boat be taking _this long_?"

"Well, Professor, it wasn't exactly a high-speed boat. But we've had an, um… issue. We're taking care of it."

"What kind of issue?"

Aero swerved as more stars zoomed by. "Gotta go, Professor! We'll be there as soon as we can!" He stuffed the device back in his pocket, making sure to turn it off. _And that takes care of that. _"Aero, Dragon Rage!" Blue fire flew in a blaze from Aero's mouth, slamming into the Fearow. The bird squawked and began to lose altitude, falling to the ocean below.

"Pika, Thunder!" Another powerful burst of electricity shot from Pika's cheeks, zapping the Pidgeot, who began to fall to the water to join the Fearow and its trainer.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" The fire slammed into the Skarmory, heating its steel body. The bird let out a shriek and struggled until it couldn't keep itself in the air anymore. It landed with a splash next to its teammates.

"Well, that was easy!" Blue said with a laugh.

"You didn't even _do _anything!" Red yelled angrily.

Ignoring him, Blue glanced down to the water below them. "What should we do about them?"

Poli, Gyara, Blasty and Golduck were treading water, watching their trainers silently. They had finished taking the passengers to the shore, and now three more people and their Pokémon floated harmlessly next to them.

Red sighed. "I guess we can't leave them there, can we?"

"Well, we could," Blue said thoughtfully. "But it would kind of make us horrible people."

The four Pokémon worked together, Gyara taking the three injured bird Pokémon on his long back and Poli, Blasty and Golduck each taking one of the men. They swam them to a beach, where people seemed to already be waiting.

"Come on," Red called, after they had recalled their Water Pokémon. "We _really _need to get to the lab. Professor Elm is probably freaking."


	6. Chapter 6

**Welcome to chapter six! And hey, it wasn't over two weeks this time :) This is one I think a lot of people have been waiting for... The reason Gold and Silver are sick! I hope it's not too confusing, and I REALLY hope it's not totally stupid :) Just remember, the reason isn't what's important. What's really important is how they're gonna get better. **

**I guess this is a good time to point out that in my mind, this story takes place about 7 years after the GSC arc. It's not really important, but if people get the reference, I thought it was kinda cool. I should also say again for the record that this is loosely based on what happened to the second generation games. (I'd point out the significance of 7 years, but I'd give away this whole chapter. If nobody gets it I'll explain next chapter.)**

**(And hey, apparently HG & SS are gonna be released in September in Japan. The commercial's pretty cool. Thought I'd mention that. :p) **

**Anyway. That's enough from me. Enjoy! :)**

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Chapter Six

Red, Blue and Green arrived in New Bark Town not long after their victory. They recalled their Pokémon and pushed open the heavy lab doors. Elm, Oak, Yellow and Crys sat at a table, with Mega standing beside Crys and Chuchu on Yellow's lap. Elm stood up when they walked in.

"It's about time," he grumbled. "What took so long?"

Red waved his hand dismissively. "We had to battle these guys on the boat. Then the boat fell apart and we had to save everyone and stuff. You know, the usual."

Before Elm could respond, Blue stepped forward. "So what happened to Gold and Silver?"

Elm hesitated, unsure of what to say. From behind him, Oak said, "We're not sure." Red, Blue and Green stared at him in confusion, waiting for him to elaborate. "All we know is that they passed out. They were both unconscious when we found them."

"Although," Elm continued, "a boy was with Silver just before he collapsed. Said he was wobbling. Might've been his head."

Blue gasped. "Where are they?"

Elm gestured with his head toward the back of the lab. "Asleep in the back. Feraligatr and Ataro are with them."

They all moved to sit at the table. "Hi, Yellow," Red greeted as he sat down. She smiled and returned the greeting. "So, any ideas what caused this?" He turned his attention back to the professors.

Elm shook his head. "None at all. I've never heard of any illness like this. I was running tests while we were waiting for you, and everything came back negative." He turned to Oak. "You?"

Oak leaned forward and placed his chin in his hand, supporting his elbow with his other palm. "Maybe."

"What is it, Professor?" Crys asked hopefully. Her arms were draped around Mega's long neck, and the green Pokémon nuzzled her comfortingly.

Professor Oak thought for a moment before getting up from his chair. The others watched as he sat at one of Elm's computers and turned it on. There was the sound of computer keys clacking and a pause before Oak resumed speaking. "I remember hearing once that certain Pokémon have such powerful psychic energies that they affect those around them. According to most research- granted, there isn't much- the symptoms seem to be the same as those present in Gold and Silver."

"But what Pokémon is powerful enough to do that?" Red asked. "I don't think Gold and Silver would've seen anything like it."

Crys' eyes widened. "Lugia."

They turned to her. "What?" Elm asked.

"A few years ago, during that whole Mask of Ice thing… We ended up on the Whirl Islands. We fought Lugia. Remember, Yellow?"

Yellow nodded. "I stayed on the boat."

Crys grinned. "Right. But could that be why?"

Oak thought for a moment. "Possibly. But you weren't there long, were you?"

"I wasn't, and neither was Lugia, but Gold and Silver were there all night, I think. The Mask of Ice took them there."

"But would being there without Lugia do anything?" Elm asked.

"It's possible," Oak said, "that Lugia lived there so long the area became… Part of it, so to speak. The entire Whirl Islands could be coated with Lugia's psychic energy."

"What about Crys?" Red asked suddenly.

She turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

"Well you were there too, right? So how come nothing happened to you?"

"Well-"

"_Did _anything happen to you, Crys?" Elm asked, concerned.

"No. I mean, not _really_." She shrugged, tightening her grip on Mega. "I started getting these really bad headaches, but I thought they were from working too much. So I took a few days off, got some sleep, and they went away." Elm nodded, deep in thought.

"But why would it take this long for any symptoms to show?" Blue asked. "They were on the Whirl Islands _years _ago."

Oak shrugged. "Sometimes diseases take a long time to show. That's why people get tested for things." Oak paused, and looked as if he wasn't sure whether to continue. "And really, we don't know for sure when they started. They could've been going on for ages before we found out."

They all sat in silence for a few minutes, processing all of the new information, until a commotion drew their attention to the back of the lab. Ataro dashed out and hopped on the table in a purple blur, and started bouncing on his tail and pointing toward the room where Gold and Silver were.

"What's the matter, Ataro?" Elm asked. "Is it Gold and Silver?"

Ataro nodded and jumped off the table, bounding back to the room. Elm followed quickly behind.

In his bed, Gold was just beginning to sit up. He pushed himself to his elbows then paused, gritting his teeth.

"Gold?" Elm went over and helped him sit up. "How do you feel?"

Gold flashed one of his trademark grins and gave a thumbs up. "Never better, Prof." He looked around. "How'd I get here?"

"Crys and Yellow brought you. Ataro came to get us."

Gold smiled at Ataro and ruffled the fur on his head. "Thanks, Ataro!"

Beside them, Feraligatr grunted, and they turned to see Silver begin to wake up.

"Wake up, Silver!" Gold called, grinning. Feraligatr gave him an odd look.

"Gold…?" Silver mumbled. Feraligatr's strong arms lifter the boy into a sitting position and Silver looked over. "Professor Elm?"

"How do you feel?" the professor asked again.

"Not bad, I guess. Dizzy."

Elm nodded. "So, boys, what happened?"

Gold and Silver looked at each other, and Gold spoke. "I've been having these weird head pains for a while now… They weren't too bad at first, but they got worse, and then they made me pass out…" He shrugged. Silver nodded at Gold's story, indicating his was similar.

Elm nodded again. "Okay. Well, if you're feeling better, why don't you come back out with me? Everyone would be glad to see you."

Gold and Silver followed the professor to where everyone was sitting. "'Everyone'?" Gold asked, his attention on the professor. "Who's-"

But he never got to finish his question, because a voice called, "Gold! Silver!" and an arm wrapped around each of their necks.

Silver looked surprised, but Gold laughed. "Hey, Crys! Miss us?"

Crys released them and wiped away tears with her sleeve. She smiled. "I'm so glad you guys are okay."

They continued to the table, and Blue made sure to give Silver a hug. Once everyone was seated, Gold grinned. "So. What'd we miss?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Welcome to chapter 7! How's this for a quick update :) I'm not really sure about this one, though. I'm still not sure if I write battles very well. Oh well :) I'm glad the explanation last chapter made sense, too. It was kinda hard to explain.**

**Wow. Guess after last author's note I have nothing left to say! **

**I'm finally at double digit reviews! Thanks so much! :)**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Seven**

The silence in the lab was deafening, and Gold's attempts at making things less awkward hung in the air. There wasn't much to say after they'd explained to Gold and Silver why they were sick. Everyone sat quietly around the table, save for Professor Oak, who continued to type away at the computer.

Oak sighed and rubbed his eyes. He pushed back his chair and stood, walking over to the table.

"What's the damage?" Elm asked hesitantly, afraid of the answer.

Oak shook his head. "I don't know how to fix it. There doesn't seem to be a cure."

More thoughtful silence, with worried expression all around, until Gold said, "But what exactly will happen if we don't cure it?"

Elm raised an eyebrow. "Besides you suffering from something that makes you collapse and pass out?"

Oak jumped in. "According to what I've been reading, the first major symptom- when the passing out becomes frequent- is memory loss. But at the end, it always leads to death."

Gold nodded, looking bewildered. "Oh. Fixing it might be a good idea."

"A lot better than dying," Crys added.

Silver's eyes were trained on the tabletop, his brain trying to process all the new information. _I'm going to die?_

"I'm going for a walk," Silver announced, standing from his chair.

Gold grinned. "We'll go with you!" At Silver's raised eyebrow he pointed with his thumb. "Me and Crys!"

Crys barely had a chance to exclaim "Excuse me!?" before Gold grabbed her arm and pulled her along. They followed Silver out the lab doors, Ataro, Feraligatr and Mega following behind.

"Oh, Gold, before you leave…" Elm took a backpack from his desk and handed it to Gold. "It has your Pokémon inside. Silver, you should have yours on you…"

Silver nodded, and Gold waved on his way out the door. "Thanks Professor," he called. "Bye guys!" And they were gone.

Once outside, Silver sighed. "Why did you come with me?"

"And why did _I_ have to come?" Crys grumbled.

"It was getting too serious in there," Gold said as if it explained anything. "Quit complaining."

"And we all know _you_ can't be serious," Crys mumbled. "Apparently not even when it's a matter of life and death."

Gold laughed but chose not to respond. They continued walking, coming onto route 29.

The three men stood in the cover of the foliage, peering out between the leaves. They watched as three kids walked by, followed by three Pokémon. One of them in particular, however, caught their attention.

"Hey, Sean," one of the men, still new to the team and in training, said. "That looks like the kid we've been looking for. Silver."

Sean nodded and turned to the third man. "That him, Bruce?" Bruce glanced at a photo in his hand and nodded. "Good."

"Are we gonna go get 'em?" the first man asked. "He's right there! He's gonna get away!"

"Shut up, Lou!" Sean smacked the back of the man's head. "They'll hear you. If we go _now_ they'll see us and we'll lose the advantage. We have to wait until they're a little bit past us."

Bruce peeked back out then motioned to his teammates. "We should be good. Let's go."

"Flareon, Flamethrower!" Gold, Silver and Crys turned just in time to see a blast of flame come through the trees and slam into Mega.

"Mega!" Crys cried, but the Grass-type shook his head and was ready to fight.

Three men walked out of the patch of trees, each followed by an evolution of Eevee- one had a Flareon, one a Vaporeon and one a Jolteon.

One of the men stepped forward. "Hi, kids!" He grinned. "Maybe I should introduce myself. I'm Sean and these are my friends Bruce," he pointed to the man with Flareon, "and Lou." He gestured to the man with Jolteon.

"What do you want?" Gold demanded, angry at the condescending tone. He had Explotaro's Poké Ball in hand. Ataro glared at the men from his position on Gold's head.

"Well we have orders, see. We're gonna need your pal Silver to come with us."

"That's not gonna happen. Explotaro! Flame Wheel!" Gold threw the Poké Ball, releasing his Typhlosion. He covered himself in fire and charged toward the men.

"We'll see. Vaporeon! Hydro Pump!" The water slowed Explotaro, but it charged through, slamming into Vaporeon.

"How did you find us?" Crys asked warily.

"Your little friends beat us on the boat," Sean said. We followed them, figuring they would lead us to Silver."

"Why do you want him?" Gold demanded. "Explotaro, Ember!" The fire shot toward Jolteon, who couldn't react fast enough.

"None of your business. Vaporeon, Aurora Beam!"

"Ember!" The two attacks met, causing an explosion. Using the cover of smoke, Gold, Silver and Crys attacked.

"Feraligatr, Hydro Pump!"

"Flame Wheel, Explotaro!"

"Mega, Razor Leaf!"

The attacks flew to their respective targets- the water to Flareon, the fire to Jolteon and the leaves to Vaporeon. Seconds later the smoke and dust cleared, and all three Pokémon were defeated.

Lou pulled out another Poké Ball, but Sean put out an arm to stop him. "We can't beat them," he muttered under his breath. "It'd be better to take the loss while we _can_ and report back. We did find Silver, after all. It wasn't a total failure."

Sean turned back to Gold, Silver and Crys. "Fine, you beat us. Congratulations." He smirked. "This isn't over." The three men recalled their fallen Pokémon and released Flying types- Sean had a Skarmory, Bruce had a Pidgeot and Lou had a Fearow.

As they flew away, Gold turned to the others. "That was- Silver? You okay?"

Crys turned to look at the other boy and saw that his eyes were wide and looked almost scared. Feraligatr watched his trainer warily.

"Didn't you see it?" Silver asked. "They all had R's on their uniforms. They're members of Team Rocket!"

Gold's eyes widened and Crys' jaw dropped. "What are we waiting for?" Gold exclaimed. "We've gotta follow them! Find out their evil plans!"

Crys looked at him like he was crazy, but Silver shook his head. "I think I need to pay a visit to my father."

Gold grinned and nodded. "Then me and Crys'll go!" At her bewildered look, he said, "C'mon! If we go tell everyone we'll lose them! We can follow them right back to their headquarters!"

Crys looked torn. _I guess I can't let him go by himself._ "Fine. But only so you don't get into trouble." She almost instantly regretted her decision when she saw Gold's grin.


	8. Chapter 8

**Welcome to chapter 8! I kinda like this one. I think it's pretty good :) Oh, and I meant to say something about my original characters last chapter... They're not gonna be important or anything, I just didn't wanna keep calling them 'the men' or whatever. So if you hate them, don't worry :) **

**Anyway. On with chapter eight. **

**Enjoy!****

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Chapter Eight

Crys and Arckee followed Gold, Ataro (who was still on Gold's head) and Mantaro as they shot through the forest. Still annoyed at being dragged along on another of Gold's adventures- for the second time in a day- she grumbled, "Tell me why we're down here instead of flying?"

"Because," Gold called back, "they'll see us if we fly right up behind them. Down here we- look! There they are!"

Crys looked up and high above them but not too far ahead were the three Rockets they'd just fought. Now that she looked she saw bright red R's on their uniforms she hadn't noticed before.

They followed them a little further until they came to a large, old-looking building that looked ready to collapse. It was placed at the bottom of what was either a huge ravine or a small valley, so that a huge natural wall kept it invisible until you were very close.

Gold scrunched up his nose. "Some secret base. It doesn't even look like it should be standing, let alone still in use."

"Maybe it's to keep people _away_, Gold. People like us."

Gold shrugged. "The more someone tells me not to do something, the more I want to do it."

"I've noticed," Crys mumbled, but Gold continued without missing a beat.

"Which is why we should totally go inside!" Ignoring the hand Crys slapped to her forehead, Gold recalled Mantaro and started down the steep slope.

After much skidding and sliding they finally came to the entrance of the old building. Crys recalled Arckee, who had helped her down, and turned to Gold, a deadpan look on her face.

"So, what," she began sarcastically. "We just walk in the front door?"

Gold shrugged. "Yeah, why not?" He peeked through a window. "Looks pretty empty." He pushed the door open a crack. "It's pretty dark, too. We'll be fine." Ataro chattered his agreement.

They made their way quietly through the halls. Scattered all over they saw various machines and other scientific equipment. Suddenly Gold stopped, his attention on a closed door. A large sign read 'KEEP OUT'.

"Let's see what's behind door number one." When he tried the handle, though, it was locked.

"That probably means we shouldn't be in there," Crys commented.

"We shouldn't be in here _anyway_. What, you think they'll have a door that says 'Please come in here'? All the cool stuff is always behind locked doors. Poltaro, Brick Break!"

Gold tossed Poltaro's Poké Ball, and the small green Pokémon slammed a fist into the door. Instantly it burst apart. Gold opened his mouth to thank Poltaro, but was interrupted by an odd, high- pitched sound and flashing red lights.

"What's that?" Gold asked. Ataro and Poltaro looked nervous.

"An alarm! Good job, Gold!" Crys shouted sarcastically.

Behind them, they could hear footsteps coming down the hall. Panicking, Gold pulled Crys and the Pokémon into the newly opened room. They hid just around the doorway and the footsteps ran right by.

_Good thing Rockets are stupid,_ Crys thought, sighing in relief, then turned her attention to Gold, who was going through things on a desk.

"Gold!" she whispered harshly. "Leave that stuff alone! We have to get out of here!"

"Look at this!" Gold held up a shiny, gold-coloured computer disk, a wide grin on his face. Written in black marker on the disk was 'PASSWORDS'. "It's Team Rocket's passwords! We gotta take this!" He slipped it into his pocket.

"Okay, now we have to _go_," Crys urged.

But something else had grabbed Gold's attention. "What's this?" He picked up a folder and started flipping through it. "Look! It's all their plans! We gotta _take_ this!"

"I don't think so." Gold and Crys whirled around, coming face to face with dozens of Rockets. Several Pokémon were already staring them down.

Crys gasped, but Gold slapped his forehead. "Oh _no_."

Murkrow dropped Silver off seemingly in the middle of nowhere. After recalling the Flying-type Silver walked across a large, grassy field until he came to a tall, important- looking building. This was Team Rocket's newest headquarters, disguised as a respectable Pokémon lab.

Silver walked through the sliding glass doors, getting easily past the front desk, which was abandoned. The whole place seemed rather empty, in fact. Silver slipped into an elevator and pressed the button for the top floor, where his father's office was located.

Exiting the elevator, he walked directly to the room at the end of the hall. A sign on the door read 'MEETING IN PROGRESS, KEEP OUT'.

Not one to obey signs, Silver edged the door open a crack. The room was pitch black save for a large screen that illuminated one wall. A chair was positioned directly in front of the screen, and Silver knew only one man would be sitting in it. He slipped inside.

His assumptions were confirmed when his father's voice said, "And how is the research going?"

The man on the screen looked slightly nervous. "Great, sir. We believe we've developed a cure."

"Has it been administered to the Whirl Islands team?"

The man nodded. "Yes, sir. They seem to be recovering, but…"

"But?" Giovanni prompted.

"…But they've lost their memories. We do believe, though, a trigger might bring them back. There's really no way to know for sure."

"A minor setback. And how is the effort going to track down Lugia?"

"We've found it, sir. Not long after we left it returned to the Whirl Islands."

"Perfect."

"But, um, sir? There's something else…"

"What kind of something else?" Giovanni's voice sounded irritated.

"Well, um… The team you assigned to find Silver found him…"

"And?"

"Well they got in a battle, sir. The kids won, so the team came back to report. Anyway, two of the kids followed them back here and we caught them searching through a desk."

"Only two of them?"

"Yes, sir." The camera shifted and Silver had to suppress a gasp as he saw Gold and Crys, tied up and being held by Rockets.

"Fine," Giovanni muttered. "They may prove useful. Keep an eye on them."

"Yes, sir." The screen switched off and Giovanni let out a frustrated sigh.

Behind him the door opened, and Giovanni turned just in time to see a flash of red hair. He stared in disbelief, not quite sure if it was real.

Once the elevator door opened Silver raced across the lobby, vaguely grateful the front doors were automatic and he didn't have to slow. The second he was outside he released Murkrow, and as fast as they could, they were on their way back to the lab.


	9. Chapter 9

**Welcome to chapter 9! I think this one's pretty good, but Silver might be horribly out of character. I also hope the end isn't cheesy :) But hey, Green talks in this chapter! Not much, but I think it's the first time he's spoken since chapter five, and that was just battle commands. :)**

**I also meant to mention last chapter that I FINALLY finished the Ruby and Sapphire arc of Special. It was awesome. That part with Mimi near the end was so great :) lol Nobody probably cares, but I wanted to mention it. :) It'll probably take me forever to finish FRLG. **

**Anyway. That's enough from me. On with chapter nine. **

**Enjoy!

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Chapter Nine

Silver dropped the last few feet to the ground from Murkrow's talons and landed expertly. He left Murkrow outside as he ran as fast as he could to the lab. He threw his weight against the door, opening it quickly.

Five shocked faces- plus Pika and Chuchu, who were on the floor together by the table- turned, staring wide-eyed at the red-haired boy.

"Silver?" Blue asked, standing and edging toward him. "Are you okay? What happened?" Silver looked too shocked and bewildered to speak.

"Where are Gold and Crys?" Yellow asked from her seat at the table.

Realization dawned on Silver's face as if he suddenly remembered what he'd come to say. "Giovanni has them. Team Rocket took them!"

The others stared at him in confusion. "What?" Oak asked. "Team Rocket has them?"

Silver nodded. "We got in a battle with these guys- they said you'd beaten them on a boat?" Silver glanced at Blue. "Anyway, they said they wanted me for something and after we beat them, they flew away and Gold and Crys followed them. I went to Team Rocket's new building and my father was talking to someone who said they'd captured them."

The group sat in stunned silence, trying to process the new information. Red interrupted the quiet with a mirthless chuckle. "Wow. This has _not_ been a good couple of days." More silence.

"What do we do now?" Blue asked quietly.

Elm sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I don't know. There's not a lot we _can_ do."

Red opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off when a loud noise rose up outside. Within seconds it was nearly deafening. The group ran quickly out of the lab to see a large, black helicopter with a bright red 'R' painted on the side. The force from the machine blew leaves from the trees and whipped everyone's hair around. Pika and Chuchu clung to Yellow's leg, and Murkrow, still outside, flew to Silver, who recalled him.

The blades on top of the helicopter slowed until they completely stopped spinning and the noise died. The side opened up and a man dressed in a black suit with an 'R' matching the helicopter stepped out.

Giovanni grinned at the group's shocked faces, and smiled a little bigger when he saw his son amongst them.

The surprise on Red's face was quickly replaced by anger. "What do _you _want?" he growled, subconsciously grabbing a Poké Ball.

Giovanni's eyes flicked to Red, then returned to Silver. "Nothing," he said. "Nothing, that is, except for Silver to come with me."

Blue stepped forward, a Poké Ball gripped tightly in her hand. "You're crazy," she said. "He's not going _anywhere_ with you."

Giovanni held up a hand. "I beg to differ. You see, I have something you might _want_." He snapped his fingers and two men climbed out of the helicopter carrying Gold and Crys. A third carried a bag of Poké Balls, presumably belonging to their captives. Silver glared at his father.

"Let them go," he demanded, fists clenched at his sides in barely suppressed rage.

"I gave you the conditions," Giovanni reminded. "Feel free to refuse, of course. But then who _knows_ what we might do to your friends."

Blue stepped forward cautiously. "Silver-"

"Fine," Silver interrupted. The group gasped, and either Blue or Crys- possibly both- shouted his name. He was in too much of a blur to tell them apart. He ignored them. "But you have to let them have the cure."

Giovanni's eyes widened briefly in shock, then he grinned. "So it _was_ you."

Silver nodded. "And I know you have the cure. I'll go with you if you let them go and give them the cure."

Giovanni laughed. "I had a feeling you'd do something like this. Brought some just in case." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial. "Fine. They can have it." He tossed it to the Rocket holding Gold, who stuck it into the boy's pocket. "There. Now come with me."

Silver complied, following his father to the helicopter. Standing in the doorway, he turned. The two Rockets holding Gold and Crys shoved them forward, and the one holding the bag thrust it into Gold's arms. The group stared at Silver as the Rockets climbed back into the helicopter.

Just before he slid the door shut Giovanni turned to the small group assembled outside the lab. "I'd suggest you don't try anything," he said, noting that each of the PokéDex holders was gripping a Poké Ball. "I _do_ have your friend, after all." He grinned as they reluctantly began putting the Poké Balls away. "Good. Now before I go, I should warn you to watch out for the side effects of that cure. But you don't really have a choice, do you?" He raised a hand in farewell. "I shall be seeing all of you. You'll be hearing much more from me." And he closed the helicopter door.

* * *

Blue raised a hand and waved slightly, tears in her eyes, hoping that Silver could see her through the dark tinted windows of Team Rocket's helicopter. She wanted him to know they wouldn't abandon him, that they'd get him back. A barely visible movement from behind the glass made her hopeful he'd gotten the message.

The blades on top of the helicopter began to spin, and the wind slowly picked up. The machine rose from the ground and soon, it was gone.

"We have to follow it!" Red shouted, his emotions beginning to boil over. "We can still catch them!"

"No, Red," Oak said softly, coming to stand beside him. "There's no telling what Giovanni might do."

"He wouldn't really hurt Silver, would he?" Green asked thoughtfully, keeping his eye on Red. "That seems harsh, even for him."

Oak shrugged. "We can't say for sure. We can't take the chance before we've thought it through." Red sighed in defeat and returned to the lab, Pika scampering after him.

Slowly, one by one, all the others returned to the lab until only Gold, Crys and Blue remained outside. No one spoke until Gold said, "We'll get him back, you know. It's just a matter of time." Blue and Crys nodded, staring at the sky where the helicopter had gone.

Blue smiled to herself in determination. _Just a matter of time._


	10. Chapter 10

**Welcome to chapter 10! This is it! Last chapter! :) It doesn't really have the feel I was going for, but I think it's pretty good. **

**Before I forget (because I seem to keep forgetting what I mean to put here) did everybody get that the mysterious man in chapter five was Giovanni? Not that I think you guys are stupid, but it was really vague and I just wanted to make sure :) **

**I also made sure everybody had a line in this chapter. My bad if I forgot someone :p It doesn't really show in this chapter, but I think my writing's improving. My paragraphs have been getting bigger :)**

**Anyway. More notes at the end. **

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter Ten

After sorting through the Poké Balls in the bag and returning Crys' to her, Gold pulled the vial out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

Elm grabbed it. "We should analyze it. Find out what it really is."

"But I don't really have a choice, do I?" Gold muttered. "I'll die anyway if I don't take it." Crys reached a hand forward to place on Gold's shoulder, but stopped, realizing there was nothing she could say. "Besides," Gold continued with a small grin. "He gave it to his people, right? He wouldn't kill them on purpose."

Reluctantly, Elm handed the vial back to Gold. The boy uncapped it and, swirling it warily, tipped his head and swallowed the contents.

There was nothing for a few heartbeats- no one spoke, moved or even dared to breathe. Gold had an unsure look on his face, as if he couldn't decide whether it had worked or not. His eyes scanned the room in confusion, looking as if they couldn't put names to the faces.

"Gold?" Crys asked in a whisper, inching forward with a hand outstretched. Gold turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," he murmured. "Um…" He trailed off as if unable to remember her name.

"Crys?" she offered with a raised eyebrow and a slightly hurt expression. Gold nodded, but not in recognition.

Suddenly, Gold began to sway. The world began to spin around him until all the colours blended like a kaleidoscope, and he collapsed.

Silver was deep in thought despite the deafening noise from the helicopter. He kept his eyes fixed on the ground, trying to ignore the man- his father- sitting across from him.

"It's for the best, Silver," Giovanni shouted over the noise. "You're too good for them."

Silver glared, but chose not to respond. Giovanni reached into an inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a vial identical to the one he'd given Gold.

"I didn't know you'd been anywhere near the Whirl Islands," Giovanni offered. "We found out from your friends just before we left."

Silver winced when he thought of how they might've gotten that information. He doubted they'd asked nicely. He remained silent.

Giovanni held the vial out to him and grinned when Silver glared. "You don't have much of a choice, Silver," he reminded his son. "You'll die if you don't take it."

_That doesn't mean I have to like it_, he thought, dread growing in the pit of his stomach as he took the vial from the man's hand. "How do I know I won't die if I _do_ take it?" he asked challengingly.

Giovanni shrugged. "You don't, I suppose," he admitted. "But like your friend, you don't really have any other options."

Silver returned his gaze to the vial of liquid, realizing his father was right. He _could _die if he took it, but he would for sure if he didn't. He removed the cap, held the vial to his mouth, and downed the liquid. Giovanni smiled.

Elm returned to the main room a few minutes after he'd taken Gold to the back to rest. He sat at the table, put his head in his hands and sighed deeply.

"What's wrong with him?" Yellow asked. She held Chuchu in her lap.

"Why did he look so confused?" Red continued, stepping forward with Pika on his shoulder.

Elm lifted his head. "I don't know."

"He forgot Crys' name," Blue said thoughtfully. "Maybe he forgets all of us."

"Maybe that's the side effect," Green offered from his spot beside his grandfather.

Oak nodded and walked forward, placing his hand on Elm's shoulder. "That's possible. But we won't know for sure until he wakes up."

Not long after Elm left the room, Gold stirred. He opened his eyes, glancing in confusion around the white, sterile-smelling room. _Where am I?_

He swung his legs off the side of the bed and glanced at the table next to it. His black-and-gold cap rested there beside some Poké Balls, each containing the small figure of a Pokémon he didn't recognize.

An odd shape in his pocket prompted him to reach inside. He pulled out a square CD case with a gold-coloured disk inside. Black letters on the disk's surface read 'PASSWORDS'.

He got up from the bed and walked through the only door he saw, scratching his head and staring at the disk in confusion. He had a strong feeling he should know what it was.

Several unfamiliar faces greeted him in a large, open room resembling a lab. He felt the same sensation telling him he should know these people. The feeling was similar to having a word on the tip of your tongue.

"Um, hi," Gold said lamely, raising a hand in greeting.

"Gold," a scientist, who looked much older than the one beside him, began. _Gold. Is that my name?_ "How do you feel?"

"Okay, I guess," Gold said. "I'd feel better if I knew who you people were." The people seated at the table gave each other looks of sadness and disappointment.

They all went around the table and introduced themselves.

Silver woke up minutes later, his mind whirling. A deafening noise seemed to attack his ears and make his head pound. The space around him was small and dark, but he could see a person sitting across from him.

Silver sat up in his seat and, by chance, glanced out the window. The ground below looked terribly far down.

"Where am I?" Silver asked, turning to the man across from him. A strange feeling told him he should know this man. An even stranger feeling told him he shouldn't trust him.

"You're in my helicopter, Silver," the man responded, an odd grin in his face. "I'm taking you home."

"'Home'?" Silver repeated. "Where was I before?"

The man's smile grew. "You were being held captive by people who were only out to manipulate you. You're with people you can trust now."

Silver had no recollection of where he'd been before waking up in the helicopter, and he could see no reason not to believe the man. "Who are you?" the boy asked suddenly.

"I'm your father," the man responded. "And father knows best."

END

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**And there you go! The end of my first multi-chaptered story! Hope everybody liked it :) Final word count (without author's notes): 11, 011. :)**

**I should say for the record that the last line (just 'Father knows best') came from a Runaways comic. Just so everybody knows I didn't come up with it :p**

**Thanks so much to everybody who read, reviewed, added to favourites, or anything else :) It was a huge confidence boost and I really appreciate it. **

**See, I like the ending because I could just end it there, and leave what happens next to your imaginations. But I could also not, because I do happen to have a sequel planned chapter for chapter. :) It's really different from this plot-wise, but hopefully it'll turn out okay. It definitely gets better near the end, in my opinion. **

**So I guess that's it! I had a lot of fun writing this, which is part of what made me decide to go ahead with the sequel. Hopefully everybody will like it.**

**I don't want this to drag on, but I just want to thank everyone again. See you in the sequel! :)**


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